Lakers notebook: Kobe Bryant says current injury had nothing to do with Achilles injury

There’s something bothering Kobe Bryant, and it goes beyond the skepticism on whether he could return from a fractured left knee, let alone play at an elite level again.

Bryant also sounded disturbed on the notion that his fractured left knee related to the left Achilles tendon he shattered that sidelined him for the past eight months.

“Because it’s Christmas, I’ll refrain from being a smart (aleck),” Bryant said before the Lakers’ 101-95 loss Wednesday to the Miami Heat at Staples Center. “I don’t think one had anything to do with the other. We evaluated it pretty extensively. The fact of the matter is any of us can get hurt at any moment. The key for us as an athlete is to block that fear out.”

The Lakers estimate Bryant will remain sidelined for five more weeks after fracturing his left knee in the Lakers’ win last week against Memphis. During that game Bryant’s knee collided with the knee of Memphis guard Tony Allen in the third quarter. Bryant said Allen “has defended me the best individually since I’ve been in the league” for the past 18 seasons.

Bryant still played in the game and only saw Lakers team doctor Steve Lombardo the following day for precautionary measures.

“I was expecting a bone bruise,” Bryant said. “I actually thought Lombardo was joking when he told me. He said it was not funny. He said it was quite serious.”

Therefore, Bryant essentially played on one foot for the second half of the Lakers’ win against Memphis, in which he scored team-leading 21 points on 9-of-18 shooting and also had four assists and four turnovers in 33 minutes.

“I didn’t know it was fractured,” Bryant said. “I don’t think any of us did. It’s one of those things where you don’t know. You go out there and play. The knee is stiff and it’s painful, but it was now one of those things I’ve played with in the past.”

Getting defensive

Nick Young’s defensive responsibilities this season have ascended into uncharted territory.

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Hustling on defense. Taking charges. And defending ... LeBron James?

Yup, it happened. Young guarded James, who posted a modest 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Save for James throwing down a fast-break dunk, Young drew a positive review.

“He’ll come at you. He’s not daunted by anything,” Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said of Young. “I think he did OK, as well as anybody. LeBron didn’t come in and kill us. That’s good. Normally he does.”

Young relished the chance.

“I wasn’t about to say, ‘Nah, coach. I’m scared,’ ” said Young, who also scored a team-leading 20 points on 7-of-18 shooting. “I just went in and did my job and tried to do the best I could.”

Rough return

The Lakers received a stocking stuffer, with Jordan Farmar returning to the lineup after missing the past 10 games because of a strained left hamstring. But Farmar struggled, scoring three points on 1-of-7 shooting, with two assists and four turnovers in 32 minutes.

“If I could have done that and I would have contributed offensively, I think we would have been right there playing for the win at the end of the game,” Farmar said. “I’m bummed that it didn’t work out the way I would have liked, but I understand what’s at stake or what happened out here. I hadn’t played basketball for quite a while, so it’s just a matter of time before I get back into my rhythm.”

D’Antoni called the performance “rusty,” but anticipated Farmar will round into form within the next week.

“He got through the game without getting hurt,” D’Antoni said. “That’s the most important thing.”